THE KABBALAH OF TIME:
Kahane and Wainer explain that the calendar is the master key to unlock the hidden rationale behind the formal structure of ancient sacred texts, as well as to understand basic mystical concepts. When comprehended within the context of the Jewish calendar, these works reveal the spiritual energy of each week, serving as a practical guide for self-analysis and development.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Week 49 (contd.): Miriam and Increasing the Wisdom of Her Teacher

The quality
needed to acquire the Torah for this week is “increases the wisdom of his
teacher,” in Hebrew, machkim et rabboh,
from the word chochmah, wisdom. This
saying appears very much related to the sefirah
of this week, Malchut. As mentioned in Book
1, Malchut is called the “poor” sefirah, in that it has nothing of its own – it simply reflects the
emanations of the other sefirot. By
reflecting the other sefirot, Malchut is, so to speak, increasing them,
bringing them down to a much deeper and fuller understanding, based on reality.
We see that more clearly in the actions of Miriam, the prophetess for this week
(it is worth noting that the remaining prophets listed in Elul are
female, and that the zodiac sign for this month is Virgo).

After
witnessing the splitting of the Sea of Reeds and how the Egyptians were
enveloped and drowned in it, the Jewish people, led by Moses, perform the Song
of the Sea. At the end of the song, Miriam then adds to Moshe’s “wisdom” by
gathering the women and having them sing and dance with timbrels, singing a
song that reflects that of the Song of the Sea.

We also see
an instance in Miriam’s life when she increased the wisdom of her father,
convincing him to remarry her mother. This ultimately led to the birth of
Moshe. (Talmud, Sotah 12a)
Furthermore, the Arizal explains that the well that accompanied the Jewish
people in the desert in the merit of Miriam had the power to increase their
wisdom and comprehension of the Oral Tradition. The Hebrew word for
"well", "be'er", has the the same letters as the
word for "interpretation".[1]
There is a famous story of how once the Arizal took his disciple, Rav Chaim
Vital, and gave him to drink of this water so that he could properly understand
the deep concepts of his kabbalistic teachings.

We also find
a parallel between Miriam and the words of the Snail in Book 1. The Snail sings
in Perek Shirah: “Like the Snail that melts away, the stillborn of a mole that
does not see the sun.” After Miriam speaks critically (and incorrectly) of
Moshe and is punished with tzara’as,
a spiritual disease of the skin, Moshe asks that she be healed by stating: “Let her not be like the dead, which comes out of his mother's
womb with half its flesh consumed!" We are supposed to constantly remember
this act of Miriam, as it is one of the “Six Remembrances” found in the Torah.

During the
month of Elul, the month of teshuvah,
there is nothing more appropriate than to focus on working on our speech and
avoiding lashon harah, an evil tongue.
Speech, as explained in Book 1, is the quintessential characteristic of Malchut. If Miriam, Moshe’s sister who
so lovingly raised and supported him, and who spoke of him with only the best
of intentions, could be punished so severely for what she said, how much more
so should we avoid any kind of negative speech. Miriam repents and is
ultimately cured, and just as the zodiac sign of this month represents, we all
have the ability to repent and get a clean slate as we approach the Days of Awe.

Rebbe Yisrael Taub and his son, Shaul Yedidya Elazer Taub, the First and Second Rebbes of Modzitz

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The date also marks the yahrzeit of emmissaries Gavriel Noach and Rivky Holzberg, who died "Al Kidush Hashem" (sanctifying G-d's Holy Name), as well as the Rebbe's miraculous recovery from a massive heart attack.

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Burial Place of the Mitteler Rebbe, Rabbi Dovber of Lubavitch

His yahrzeit (and birthday) is on Tuesday, the 9th of Kislev. The following day, the 10th of Kislev, is celebrated as the day of his personal redemption.